# United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio (in case citations, N.D. Ohio) is the federal trial court for the northern half of Ohio, encompassing most territories north of the city of Columbus. The court has courthouses in Cleveland, Toledo, Akron and Youngstown.
Appeals from this court are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).
The United States Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Ohio represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. As of June 9, 2023 the United States attorney, the district’s chief prosecutor, is Rebecca C. Lutzko.

## History

The United States District Court for the District of Ohio was established on February 19, 1803, by 2 Stat. 201. The District was subdivided into Northern and Southern Districts on February 10, 1855, by 10 Stat. 604.

## Divisions

The Northern District comprises two divisions.

### Eastern Division

The Eastern Division comprises the counties of Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll, Columbiana, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Holmes, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas and Wayne.
Court for the Eastern Division can be held in Akron, Cleveland and Youngstown.

### Western Division

The Western Division comprises the counties of Allen, Auglaize, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Marion, Mercer, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Van Wert, Williams, Wood and Wyandot.
Court for the Western Division can be held in Toledo.

## Current judges

As of October 1, 2023:
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Term of service | Term of service | Appointed by |
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Active | Chief | Senior | Appointed by |
| 52 | Chief Judge | Sara Elizabeth Lioi | Akron | 1960 | 2007–present | 2023–present | — | G.W. Bush |
| 49 | District Judge | John R. Adams | Akron | 1955 | 2003–present | — | — | G.W. Bush |
| 53 | District Judge | Benita Y. Pearson | Youngstown | 1963 | 2010–present | — | — | Obama |
| 54 | District Judge | Jeffrey J. Helmick | Toledo | 1960 | 2012–present | — | — | Obama |
| 55 | District Judge | Pamela Barker | Cleveland | 1957 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 56 | District Judge | James R. Knepp II | Toledo | 1964 | 2020–present | — | — | Trump |
| 57 | District Judge | J. Philip Calabrese | Cleveland | 1971 | 2020–present | — | — | Trump |
| 58 | District Judge | Charles E. Fleming | Cleveland | 1962 | 2022–present | — | — | Biden |
| 59 | District Judge | David A. Ruiz | Cleveland | 1973 | 2022–present | — | — | Biden |
| 60 | District Judge | Bridget M. Brennan | Cleveland | 1974 | 2022–present | — | — | Biden |
| 61 | District Judge | vacant | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 40 | Senior Judge | James G. Carr | Toledo | 1940 | 1994–2010 | 2004–2010 | 2010–present | Clinton |
| 41 | Senior Judge | Solomon Oliver Jr. | Cleveland | 1947 | 1994–2021 | 2010–2017 | 2021–present | Clinton |
| 44 | Senior Judge | Peter C. Economus | inactive | 1943 | 1995–2009 | — | 2009–present | Clinton |
| 45 | Senior Judge | Donald C. Nugent | Cleveland | 1948 | 1995–2017 | — | 2017–present | Clinton |
| 46 | Senior Judge | Patricia Anne Gaughan | Cleveland | 1953 | 1995–2023 | 2017–2023 | 2023–present | Clinton |
| 47 | Senior Judge | James S. Gwin | Cleveland | 1954 | 1997–2021 | — | 2021–present | Clinton |
| 48 | Senior Judge | Dan Polster | Cleveland | 1951 | 1998–2021 | — | 2021–present | Clinton |
| 50 | Senior Judge | Christopher A. Boyko | Cleveland | 1954 | 2005–2020 | — | 2020–present | G.W. Bush |
| 51 | Senior Judge | Jack Zouhary | Toledo | 1951 | 2006–2019 | — | 2019–present | G.W. Bush |
* 1 2 3 Despite identical commission dates, Judges Fleming, Ruiz and Brennan are organized chronologically by virtue of seniority of age.

## Vacancies and pending nominations

| Seat | Prior judge's duty station | Seat last held by | Vacancy reason | Date of vacancy | Nominee | Date of nomination |
| 12 | Cleveland | Patricia Anne Gaughan | Senior status | October 1, 2023 | – | – |

## Former judges

| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
| 1 | Hiram V. Willson | OH | 1808–1866 | 1855–1866 | — | — | Pierce | death |
| 2 | Charles Taylor Sherman | OH | 1811–1879 | 1867–1872 | — | — | A. Johnson | resignation |
| 3 | Martin Welker | OH | 1819–1902 | 1873–1889 | — | — | Grant | retirement |
| 4 | Augustus J. Ricks | OH | 1843–1906 | 1889–1906 | — | — | B. Harrison | death |
| 5 | Francis Joseph Wing | OH | 1850–1918 | 1901–1905 | — | — | McKinley | resignation |
| 6 | Robert Walker Tayler | OH | 1852–1910 | 1905–1910 | — | — | T. Roosevelt | death |
| 7 | John Milton Killits | OH | 1858–1938 | 1910–1928 | — | 1928–1938 | Taft | death |
| 8 | William Louis Day | OH | 1876–1936 | 1911–1914 | — | — | Taft | resignation |
| 9 | John Hessin Clarke | OH | 1857–1945 | 1914–1916 | — | — | Wilson | elevation to Supreme Court |
| 10 | David C. Westenhaver | OH | 1865–1928 | 1917–1928 | — | — | Wilson | death |
| 11 | Paul Jones | OH | 1880–1965 | 1923–1965 | 1948–1959 | — | Harding | death |
| 12 | Samuel H. West | OH | 1872–1938 | 1928–1938 | — | — | Coolidge | death |
| 13 | George Philip Hahn | OH | 1879–1937 | 1928–1937 | — | — | Coolidge | death |
| 14 | Frank Le Blond Kloeb | OH | 1890–1976 | 1937–1964 | 1959–1960 | 1964–1976 | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 15 | Robert Nugen Wilkin | OH | 1886–1973 | 1939–1949 | — | 1949–1973 | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 16 | Emerich B. Freed | OH | 1897–1955 | 1941–1955 | — | — | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 17 | Charles Joseph McNamee | OH | 1890–1964 | 1951–1964 | 1960 | — | Truman | death |
| 18 | James C. Connell | OH | 1897–1973 | 1954–1971 | 1960–1967 | 1971–1973 | Eisenhower | death |
| 19 | Paul Charles Weick | OH | 1899–1997 | 1956–1959 | — | — | Eisenhower | elevation to 6th Cir. |
| 20 | Girard Edward Kalbfleisch | OH | 1899–1990 | 1959–1970 | 1967–1969 | 1970–1990 | Eisenhower | death |
| 21 | Frank J. Battisti | OH | 1922–1994 | 1961–1994 | 1969–1990 | 1994–1994 | Kennedy | death |
| 22 | Ben Charles Green | OH | 1905–1983 | 1961–1976 | — | 1976–1983 | Kennedy | death |
| 23 | Don John Young | OH | 1910–1996 | 1965–1980 | — | 1980–1996 | L. Johnson | death |
| 24 | William Kernahan Thomas | OH | 1911–2001 | 1966–1981 | — | 1981–2001 | L. Johnson | death |
| 25 | Thomas Demetrios Lambros | OH | 1930–2019 | 1967–1995 | 1990–1995 | — | L. Johnson | retirement |
| 26 | Robert B. Krupansky | OH | 1921–2004 | 1970–1982 | — | — | Nixon | elevation to 6th Cir. |
| 27 | Nicholas Joseph Walinski Jr. | OH | 1920–1992 | 1970–1985 | — | 1985–1992 | Nixon | death |
| 28 | Leroy John Contie Jr. | OH | 1920–2001 | 1971–1982 | — | — | Nixon | elevation to 6th Cir. |
| 29 | John Michael Manos | OH | 1922–2006 | 1976–1991 | — | 1991–2006 | Ford | death |
| 30 | George Washington White | OH | 1931–2011 | 1980–1999 | 1995–1999 | 1999–2011 | Carter | death |
| 31 | Ann Aldrich | OH | 1927–2010 | 1980–1995 | — | 1995–2010 | Carter | death |
| 32 | Alvin Krenzler | OH | 1921–2010 | 1981–1992 | — | 1992–1992 | Reagan | retirement |
| 33 | John William Potter | OH | 1918–2013 | 1982–1992 | — | 1992–2013 | Reagan | death |
| 34 | David Dudley Dowd Jr. | OH | 1929–2016 | 1982–1996 | — | 1996–2016 | Reagan | death |
| 35 | Sam H. Bell | OH | 1925–2010 | 1982–1996 | — | 1996–2010 | Reagan | death |
| 36 | Alice M. Batchelder | OH | 1944–present | 1985–1992 | — | — | Reagan | elevation to 6th Cir. |
| 37 | Richard B. McQuade Jr. | OH | 1940–present | 1986–1989 | — | — | Reagan | resignation |
| 38 | Paul Ramon Matia | OH | 1937–present | 1991–2004 | 1999–2004 | 2004–2005 | G.H.W. Bush | retirement |
| 39 | Lesley B. Wells | OH | 1937–present | 1994–2006 | — | 2006–2015 | Clinton | retirement |
| 42 | David A. Katz | OH | 1933–2016 | 1994–2005 | — | 2005–2016 | Clinton | death |
| 43 | Kathleen M. O'Malley | OH | 1956–present | 1994–2010 | — | — | Clinton | elevation to Fed. Cir. |
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 2, 1873, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 8, 1873, and received commission the same day.
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 16, 1889, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 16, 1890, and received commission the same day.
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 15, 1962, confirmed by the United States Senate on June 29, 1962, and received commission on July 2, 1962.

## Chief judges

Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their district court. Unlike the Supreme Court, where one justice is specifically nominated to be chief, the office of chief judge rotates among the district court judges. To be chief, a judge must have been in active service on the court for at least one year, be under the age of 65, and have not previously served as chief judge.
A vacancy is filled by the judge highest in seniority among the group of qualified judges. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years, or until age 70, whichever occurs first. The age restrictions are waived if no members of the court would otherwise be qualified for the position.
When the office was created in 1948, the chief judge was the longest-serving judge who had not elected to retire, on what has since 1958 been known as senior status, or declined to serve as chief judge. After August 6, 1959, judges could not become or remain chief after turning 70 years old. The current rules have been in operation since October 1, 1982.

## Succession of seats

Seat 1 :
| Seat established on February 10, 1855 by 10 Stat. 604 ||
| Willson | 1855–1866 |
| Sherman | 1867–1872 |
| Welker | 1873–1889 |
| Ricks | 1890–1906 |
| Seat abolished on December 22, 1906 (temporary judgeship expired) ||
Seat 2 :
| Seat established on December 19, 1900 by 31 Stat. 726 (temporary) ||
| Wing | 1901–1905 |
| Seat became permanent upon the abolition of Seat 1 on December 22, 1906 ||
| Tayler | 1905–1910 |
| Day | 1911–1914 |
| Clarke | 1914–1916 |
| Westenhaver | 1917–1928 |
| West | 1928–1938 |
| Wilkin | 1939–1949 |
| McNamee | 1951–1964 |
| Seat abolished on May 2, 1964 (temporary judgeship expired) ||
Seat 3 :
| Seat established on February 24, 1910 by 36 Stat. 202 ||||
| Killits | 1910–1928 |
| Hahn | 1928–1937 |
| Kloeb | 1937–1964 |
| Young | 1965–1980 |
| Krenzler | 1981–1992 |
| Katz | 1994–2005 |
| Zouhary | 2006–2019 |
| Knepp II | 2020–present |
Seat 4 :
| Seat established on September 14, 1922 by 42 Stat. 837 (temporary) ||
| Seat made permanent on August 19, 1935 by 49 Stat. 659 ||
| Jones | 1923–1965 |
| Thomas | 1966–1981 |
| Potter | 1982–1992 |
| O'Malley | 1994–2010 |
| Seat abolished on December 27, 2010 (temporary judgeship expired) ||
Seat 5 :
| Seat established on May 1, 1941 by 55 Stat. 148 (temporary) ||||
| Seat made permanent on August 3, 1949 by 63 Stat. 493 ||||
| Freed | 1941–1955 |
| Weick | 1956–1959 |
| Kalbfleisch | 1959–1970 |
| Walinski, Jr. | 1970–1985 |
| McQuade, Jr. | 1986–1989 |
| Carr | 1994–2010 |
| Helmick | 2012–present |
Seat 6 :
| Seat established on February 10, 1954 by 68 Stat. 8 ||||
| Connell | 1954–1971 |
| Contie, Jr. | 1971–1982 |
| Dowd, Jr. | 1982–1996 |
| Polster | 1998–2021 |
| Brennan | 2022–present |
Seat 7 :
| Seat established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 ||||
| Battisti | 1961–1994 |
| Economus | 1995–2009 |
| Pearson | 2010–present |
Seat 8 :
| Seat established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 (temporary) ||||
| Seat became permanent upon the abolition of Seat 2 on May 2, 1964 ||||
| Green | 1962–1976 |
| Manos | 1976–1991 |
| Wells | 1994–2006 |
| Lioi | 2007–present |
Seat 9 :
| Seat established on May 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75 ||||
| Lambros | 1967–1995 |
| Nugent | 1995–2017 |
| Barker | 2019–present |
Seat 10 :
| Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294 ||||
| Krupansky | 1970–1982 |
| Bell | 1982–1996 |
| Gwin | 1997–2021 |
| Fleming | 2022–present |
Seat 11 :
| Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 ||||
| White | 1980–1999 |
| Adams | 2003–present |
Seat 12 :
| Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 (temporary) ||||
| Seat made permanent on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 347 ||||
| Aldrich | 1980–1995 |
| Gaughan | 1995–2023 |
| vacant | 2023–present |
Seat 13 :
| Seat established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 347 (temporary) ||||
| Seat made permanent on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 ||||
| Batchelder | 1985–1992 |
| Oliver, Jr. | 1994–2021 |
| Ruiz | 2022–present |
Seat 14 :
| Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 (temporary) ||||
| Matia | 1991–2004 |
| Seat became permanent upon the abolition of Seat 4 on December 27, 2010 ||||
| Boyko | 2005–2020 |
| Calabrese | 2020–present |